When The Past Comes Alive
by Pinky the Brain
Summary: Ardeth and Rick find out they have a bond deeper than they ever figured, and discover unknown secrets about their past...
1. Chapter One

Title: When the Past Comes Alive

Title: When the Past Comes Alive

Authors: Alex (skettipikachu@aol.com) and Sarah (silivin@aol.com)

Rating: PG-13

Category: Action/adventure

Spoilers: TMR

Status: Work in progress (part 1)

Disclaimer: Shock, horror! These characters don't belong to us!

*********************************************************************

Alex ran out ahead of his parents and into the hallway of their house. "Well, we're back."

"Great," said Rick behind him, carrying their suitcases and letting them drop to the ground before stretching his back. "Thank God for that." He yawned widely. The long plane journey not to mention the events of the past week had taken its toll on him and he was so tired right now.

Evie was the last to walk in and she kicked the door unceremoniously shut behind her. "God, I hate planes!" she exclaimed. 

Rick smiled, taking her into his arms and rubbing her back soothingly. "I know you do, but we're home now. All we need to do is get a good night's sleep and things should be fine in the morning."

She sighed and leaned into him, neither of them paying much attention to the gagging sounds Alex was making in front of them. A banging sound from upstairs distracted them, however. A moment later, a hungover Jonathan stumbled down the stairs

"Oh, hello then! I see you're back," he greeted them, before wandering off toward the kitchen muttering about strong coffee. 

"He looks refreshed," Rick remarked, kissing his wife's forehead. He loosened his hold on her to gently pull the coat from her body, shrugging off his own jacket and hanging them up before taking her back in his arms. "Now where were we?" he murmured.

"Oh brother!" said Alex, rolling his eyes. He set off into the kitchen. "Uncle John! Uncle John, wait for me!"

"Well, you know what we need the most?" Evie didn't bother waiting for his reply. "A nice long bath..." She turned and began tugging him up the stairs.

A grin spread across his face as he followed her. "A nice long bath, huh? Sounds good to me," he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. They stopped when they reached the bathroom and he smiled, holding open the door for her. 

She grinned and swept past him before grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him inside.

He grunted in surprise when she did that and he stumbled into the bathroom, almost falling over. He regained his footing and smiled at her aggressiveness. "Someone's feeling frisky tonight," he said, making sure he locked the door behind him. 

"You could say that," she said huskily, before capturing his mouth with hers. She swiftly began undoing the buttons on his shirt. 

He opened his mouth to her, letting her explore as he undid the fastenings of her blouse. He pushed the fabric off her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor and he smiled appreciatively at what he saw. 

She blushed slightly; she always did when he gave her that look. She reached around to unhook her bra, before stopping. "Wait!" She exclaimed. "We've forgotten about the bath." She ignored Rick's annoyed look and proceeded to begin filling the bathtub. When it was at the right temperature, she turned back to him. "Okay, now you can rip my clothes off." 

He shook his head in amusement. "Not a moment too soon," he replied, reaching round her back to unfasten her bra. He let it fall to the ground before his hands went to undo her pants, pushing them and her panties down and he pressed his lips to her briefly. He slipped out of his shirt and fumbled with the buckle of his belt, finally getting out of his pants and boxers, leaving him naked before her. "Shall we?" he asked, helping her climb into the bathtub. 

Evie took his hand and giggled as they stepped into the tub. After they were settled she draped her arms around his neck and sighed. "Rick just hold me for a bit, I just want to feel you hold me." 

"Sure," he said softly, holding her soft little body close to him. He closed his eyes, stroking his fingers through her hair and just enjoying being with her like this. He nuzzled her cheek and murmured, "This is nice." 

She nodded wordlessly. She stroked his chin lightly, feeling the short bristle that had grown over that last day. A disturbance downstairs caught her attention, but didn't bother her enough to make her move. "Rick, do you think Jonathan has thrown up by now?"

"Probably at least twice before we even got here, otherwise he wouldn't have been looking for coffee." He kissed the top of her head. "He'll be okay, just as long as he doesn't break anything. Besides, Alex is there to watch over him. Sometimes it feels as though we have two eight year old kids around the house." 

"No, Alex is eight and Jonathan is two." Evie smiled. "But you know I wouldn't trade him for anybody else." 

"I know, I know," he said, squeezing her gently. "He has his moments." He let go of her hair to place his hand over his mouth to cover his yawn.

"You're tired." Evie looked up at him and smiled. He started to protest but she put her finger over his mouth. "You need sleep, I need sleep. Let's get to bed. I'm sure we can have a nice romantic day tomorrow." 

He frowned at her, pouting his lips in exactly the way that Alex did when he was told he couldn't have something, but he knew there was no arguing with her. He kissed her finger but didn't release his hold on her. "I say tomorrow we put your brother on babysitting duty while we have a day all to ourselves," he murmured. 

"Sounds wonderful," she said, then kissed him lightly and climbed out of the tub. "I'm going to go check on Jonathan and Alex. The last time I got back from a trip Jonathan had used my 12th Dynasty chamber pot for when he got sick." 

He laughed at the memory of that day and he regretfully watched her pull on her robe and then leave. He closed his eyes and sighed, staying in the tub for a few minutes longer before getting out himself and draining the water. He rubbed himself dry, wrapping the towel around his waist and was just about to open the door when suddenly he was hit by a wave of dizziness. He swayed unsteadily ad leaned his head against the door, breathing hard. It took a moment for him to recover. He shook his head in puzzlement, wondering what all that had been about before making his way across the landing and into their bedroom to get changed. 

Evie was downstairs when she heard a muffled thump. She glanced up at the ceiling, but soon heard Rick's footfalls as he made his way to their bedroom. She was soon busy refereeing an argument over whose idea it had been to 'let the dog clean up' where Jonathan had become sick. Finally she resorted to grasping Alex by the ear and Jonathan by the arm. When Jonathan was in his room and Alex in the bathroom, with firm instructions to wash his face good, she finally was able to get to their bedroom. 

He pulled on his pajama pants and had just lain down on the bed when Evie entered the room. He closed his eyes, trying to clear the dizziness from his head. "Are they both alright now?" he asked tiredly. 

"Yes." Evie sighed and yanked on the first nightgown she came across. "I heard a thump when I was downstairs, did you hurt yourself?" 

He shook his head no and he opened his eyes to look up at her. "I just felt dizzy for some reason. I'm okay," he said softly, beckoning her over to the bed. 

She slid in beside him and turned off the lamp. "It's good to be home," she murmured before drifting to sleep. 

He lay back against the pillows and rubbed her back gently. She sighed quietly in her sleep and snuggled up against him. His eyes drifted shut and blessed sleep came upon him.

_He was walking down a golden hallway. He became suddenly aware that his feet and chest were bare and he only wore a loincloth, similar to that he had seen Imhotep wear._

_ _

_'What the hell?' He though dizzily. His feet continued on, heedless of his thoughts to stop. He came to two tall golden doors much like ones he had seen in Hamunaptra. Guards stood on either side, but let him pass by without question. He entered the doors and saw Evie dressed in full Egyptian attire before him. _

_ _

_'Evie?' He thought. But instead out of his mouth came. "Nefertiti, Beloved." ___

_She took a step towards him. "What is wrong? Where is your brother?" she asked, concern filtered in through her voice. _

_ _

_Brother? Rick thought vaguely. He didn't have a brother...yet he found himself replying all the same. "Djedi is sick," he sighed, frowning. "I took him to see the village healer just after we returned. He says it is nothing, but I know my brother." _

_ _

_"Stubborn to the last." Nefertiti smiled. She extended her arms and pulled him to her. "Basset will be worried." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I suppose I should go tell her." _

_ _

_"Yes, I suppose you are right." He smiled down at her, enjoying the feel of her warm body in his arms. "Must you leave so soon?" he asked. "I only just got back after all. I missed you," he said, leaning down to nuzzle her nose with his. _

_ _

_"I have to go to the ceremony. But I will be back by tomorrow." She giggled as his breath tickled her neck, the spot where his mouth had drifted. "We have an audience," she reminded him, nodding to the young maid who nervously looked on from the shadows._

_ _

_He sighed in regret, placing one last kiss to her neck before pulling back slightly. "I shall see you then," he told her. "Meanwhile, I should watch over my brother to make sure he doesn't get any worse." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers briefly._

_ _

_She slid from his grasp, and gave a little sigh. "I'll send Basset with you." She motioned to the girl. "Tell Basset to accompany Amun." As the girl ran to do her bidding she grabbed him in a fierce hug. "I love you." She then turned and left, glancing back only once before disappearing being long golden curtains. _

_ _

_He watched her leave and then walked out onto the balcony to look down at the courtyard. It was dusk so all was quiet and his attention turned to Nefertiti's temple which could be seen from beyond the palace walls (how Rick knew this was Nefertiti's temple, he couldn't say). Suddenly, he heard a voice speaking out to him, one that he knew all too well. "Rick? Rick..." _

"Rick, are you alright?" Evie shook her sleeping husband by the shoulders.

His eyes fluttered open to the sight of his wife leaning over him, staring down at him anxiously. He shook his head groggily and all thoughts of the golden palace left his mind. "I'm okay," he told her. "I just had some sort of weird dream." 

"I'll say." She peered at him closely. "Since when did you speak ancient Egyptian?"

He frowned. "What?" he asked in confusion. "But I don't speak ancient Egyptian..." his mind cast back to the dream. Was it signficant? It couldn't be, it was just a dream, right? Something that his mind made up. 

Evie studied him for a moment. "You said 'Nefertiti, beloved'. Were you dreaming about..." She trailed off, unsure how to put it into words. "About her?" 

He wasn't sure that he wanted to talk about this. Dreams and visions were her business, not his, dammit, he didn't believe in this stuff! But he found himself unable to dismiss it outright. "You were in my dream," he began hesitantly. "Decked out in Egyptian garb. I called you Nefertiti." 

Evie smiled wickedly. "Did I look good in my 'Egyptian garb', Rick?" 

His mind drifted to how she had looked in her clinging golden dress and he felt the blush rise to his cheeks. "Uh, yeah, pretty good," he said, avoiding her gaze. 

She smiled and straddled his lap. "So what happened in this dream?" 

All thoughts of the dream were rapidly leaving his mind when she did that and his hands automatically came to rest on her waist. "Well, we talked a little bit," he said, not really wanting to focus on it any more. "And then-"

Suddenly, they heard a patter of feet outside the bedroom and then the louder steps of Jonathan quelled any idea of romance. The door burst open and Alex barged in, followed by Jonathan. "Mum! Dad! Guess who's here!"

Jonathan frowned. "Alex! You shouldn't rush in like that! They're doing lovey-stuff!"

Evie rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, say 'eww' and tell us who is here."

Rick gently moved her so that he could sit up. "Yeah, who's here?" he asked curiously. 

"That troublesome Med-jai, Ardeth." Jonathan wrinkled his nose. "I told him no more mummies!" 

"Ardeth's here?" Immediately Rick felt fear in his gut. Whenever Ardeth showed up, either something bad had happened or was about to. "He's in the house?" 

Jonathan nodded. "Yes, but he said not to try to shoot him this time, there's no trouble." 

Rick frowned. "Then why is he here?" he asked, getting out of bed. "No wait, I'll ask him myself. Give us five minutes to get dressed. Alex, you go back downstairs and take care of your uncle." 

"Take care of me? I resemble that comment!"

"Resent, darling." Evie corrected as she climbed out of bed. She was thankful she had on one of her longer nightgowns.

Rick shook his head and smiled. "Alright, go," he said, ushering his son and brother-in-law out of the room. He walked over to the wardrobe in search of a clean shirt. "I wonder what he could want?" he muttered, half to himself, half to Evie. 

"Maybe he wants to see us. I rather think he considers us his friends," Evie said as she pulled off her gown. "I certainly consider him one of mine." 

"I know, honey, I know. But doesn't it strike you as odd that he's traveled all the way over here just to say hi? There has to be a reason." He tugged off his pajama bottoms and pulled on his pants. 

Evie sauntered by and pinched his butt. "He always has a reason, but if there is no danger, I don't care." She pulled a skirt on and tucked in her blouse. "I hate wearing these now, you spoiled me on pants." 

He grabbed her naughty little hands and pulled her close to him. "You have to admit, skirts are more convenient," he murmured with a grin, letting go of her wrists to let his own hands wander over her body. 

She giggled and pushed his hands away. "Later. Let's see what he wants." She slipped out his grasp, much the same way Nefertiti had, and waltzed out the door. 

He shivered at the sensation of deja vu, but shook it off, dismissing the weird feeling. He followed her down the stairs and into the living room where Ardeth was seated on the sofa, Alex babbling on excitedly about something. "Ardeth," he said in greeting. "What brings you here? Can't be the fine British weather." 

Ardeth looked up at him with that intense stare he always held. "No, I came to assist Evie with the museum. I understand there are certain things that need, shall we say, some paperwork removed." Straight to the point as usual. 

Rick came to sit in a nearby chair, relaxing a little at the fact that this visit wasn't about some curse, or mummies or anything like that. "That and we still haven't come up with a decent explanation as to why the curator has mysteriously vanished, or why the Egyptian wing is a total wreck." 

Ardeth smiled ever so slightly. "Well, I also came to talk to you, my friend."

"About?" Rick asked curiously, shifting a little in his seat as he awaited the reply. 

"Have you had any...visions or flashbacks of any sort?" Ardeth too looked slightly uncomfortable. Evie stepped in and tugged on Alex's sleeve, removing him from the room and gently closing the door behind her. 

Rick watched them go, suddenly wishing that they had stayed so that he wouldn't have to have this conversation. After a moment of silence, he said, "I dreamt something weird just this morning. Evie told me I had been talking in ancient Egyptian which is crazy seeing as I don't know any." He looked at Ardeth suspiciously. "Why do you ask?" 

"Well..." the Med-jai shifted in his seat. "Ever since the last incident, I have been having dreams. And they all involve you, Evie, and Alex. And someone else...but I don't know who." 

"What kind of dreams?" he queried, curious as to why Ardeth would be having these dreams too. "Wait, Alex was in your dream?" He had only seen Evie, but then the dream that he had had been his first. He shuddered, hoping there wouldn't be anymore of them, but somehow he had the feeling that there would be. 

"I'm sure it was Alex! He was younger, and dark...not blonde, but his eyes! I know his eyes! And Evie was not Evie, she was Nefertiti, and you were different too. Also darker...it is you who I see the most." He stood up and crossed to the window. "In one dream you called me brother." 

Rick's eyebrows lifted in surprise at that statement. Then he remembered in his dream that Evie...Nefertiti had asked him about his brother. "Nefertiti called you Djedi, my brother," he murmured, almost in a trance-like state as he recalled the events. "You and I had been traveling and had just got back to the palace. You were sick..." He shook his head suddenly as though someone had startled him. God, this was weird. He wasn't sure he could handle it. 

"And your name was Amun, after the sun god. I believe Nefertiti was your wife in the past, and that you also had Alex as your son. Although I do not know what his name was."

Rick got up from his seat and walked slowly over to Ardeth. He wanted to just deny this were even happening to him, that it was all nonsense, but if Ardeth was having visions too, then it had to mean something. "How long have you been having these dreams?" he asked. 

"Since I returned home from the last battle." He put his hand on Rick's shoulder. "If it is what I think it is, I would be proud to call you my brother." 

Despite all the mixed up feelings he was having, he couldn't help but smile. "Likewise, buddy," he said. Then his smile faded. "So what are we gonna do about this? We both know what happened when Evie started having these...visions." 

Ardeth grimaced. "I know. And for once I have, how do you say it? No clue."

"Oh great, and here I was thinking you had all the answers," said Rick, only slightly teasing. It was true though. In the past, Ardeth had always been a guide and now that he wasn't sure what to do this time made him feel nervous. 

"Don't look at me. I am only a man after all." Ardeth grinned fully at him now.

He smiled in return. "Alright then, first things first. We go over to the museum to try and sort things out. Now I'm not saying something bad's gonna happen, but I believe in being prepared. Are you packing heat?" 

"I come from the desert, that doesn't mean I am always hot," his friend replied, furrowing his brow. 

Rick stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing. "Sorry, western expression there. What I meant was are you carrying any weapons?" 

"Oh." Ardeth still looked slightly confused, but he nodded. "I always carry something." 

He grinned. "Well, just in case anything *does* happen, I got a Tommy gun in the trunk of the car with your name written on it."

Ardeth's face lit up at the mention of the Tommy. "I have managed to acquire a Thompson, but I'm afraid it's back home." He sighed and shook his head. "I should have brought it anyway..." 

"Well it's a good thing I come prepared then," Rick told him. "Let's go." 


	2. Chapter Two

Title: When the Past Comes Alive

Authors: Alex (skettipikachu@aol.com) and Sarah (silivin@aol.com)

Rating: PG-13

Category: Action/adventure

Spoilers: TMR

Status: Work in progress (part 2)

Disclaimer: See part 1

*********************************************************************

Rick pulled up outside the British Museum and shut off the engine to the car. He turned to Ardeth in the passenger seat. "Ready?" he asked. At the Med-jai's nod, he got out of the car and they both walked up the stairs to the Egyptian wing. Rick shuddered at the mess that was still there. "Look at this place," he murmured. 

"It has a certain charm," Ardeth said looking off towards the office areas. His friend snorted, withholding his laughter. Ardeth glanced at him. "Oh, you mean the damage. Oh yes, very bad." 

Rick smiled and walked over to some of the displays that were still intact. It was early and the Egyptian wing had been closed so there weren't that many people around. He wandered over to one of the glass cases where Evie had showed him contained some of the old scrolls or the Egyptian book of the Dead. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for, but he glanced down at the parchment and was surprised when he could actually make out some of the lettering. He looked more closely at it and he realized that the symbols actually made sense. Hymn to Osiris. Feeling somewhat disturbed by that, Rick turned quickly and looked away.

Ardeth meanwhile had stayed on a steady coarse towards the offices. He was lost deep in thought, remembering the last time he had been here when he collided with a smaller person, knocking them to the ground. He dropped to his knee immediately. "I am sorry! Let me help you!" It was a girl; she had been carrying a stack of papers and was gathering them quickly now. "Here," he said handing a stack of papers to her. So far he still hadn't seen her face, or heard her voice.

"Oh, uh, thank you," she said. She took the stack of papers from him and held them to her chest. She glanced up at his face and gasped at the sight of him. He was a striking-looking man, tall, dark-haired and obviously of the desert. She briefly wondered what he would be doing here in London, but pushed that thought away. "Um, I haven't seen you here before. We're actually closed right now for repairs, but do you need any help at all?" 

"Oh I don't need-" He suddenly gasped. It was as if she was just sitting there then he saw her in a palace, seated before a throne. Her long black hair braided and beaded with gold. Her dark, nearly black eyes outlined with coal. The most stunning thing was the clinging gold dress, which hid nothing of her from his sight. He blinked and then there she was sitting on the floor, with papers scattered about her. 

She looked up from gathering the rest of her papers and frowned at him in concern. "Are you alright sir?" she asked gently. "You look a little ill. Would you like me to get you a glass of water?" She got her stuff in order and stood up to face him. 

He remained on one knee, looking up at her. "No, I am fine. I just ...it's nothing." He stood up, and was amazed at how small she was. She could only have stood about 5'2 or 3 at most. He towered over her but almost a foot. He was about to say something, what he wasn't sure, when Alex came barreling into the office.

"Hi Sari! Hey Ardeth! Ardeth, where's my dad?" He said all this in about two seconds flat.

"He's over there," Ardeth replied, barely taking his eyes off of the lovely young girl named Sari.

Sari briefly removed her gaze from the man she had just discovered was named Ardeth and glanced over at Alex. "Oh, hello Alex, I haven't seen your mother around here lately." She liked Alex. He was a little too hyperactive for her tastes but he was a cute kid and he was keen on Egyptology. She suddenly caught sight of Mr. O'Connell making his way towards them and she smiled as Alex charged up to him for a hug. She turned back to Ardeth. "So, you know the O'Connell's?" 

"Yes, You could say that." He smiled and bent down to pick up a piece of paper she had forgotten. "Here you go. Once again, I am sorry." He was rewarded with a coloring of her cheeks, which made him smile even more. 

She blushed, averting her gaze, wondering why he was making her feel this awkward when she had only just met the man. "Thank you," she said softly, quickly looking up at him. "So, I'll leave you to your business then," she said, feeling somewhat reluctant to leave him for some reason. 

"Oh, you don't have to go...Um...do you know where Evelyn is?" He groped for something that would keep her there for another minute or so. 

"Mrs. O'Connell isn't here right now I'm afraid," she told him, smiling. "But if there's anything you want to know, just ask Alex. He knows more about this place than I do. But you know, if you are visiting the O'Connell's, maybe I will see you around sometime?" 

"Oh yes, you probably will. I was sent here by the Cairo Museum to assist with the cleanup." 'Very smooth, Ardeth," he thought to himself. 'You get all tongue-tied around women, where's the Med-Jai leader now? Think of something interesting to say!' "So yes, you will undoubtedly see me around...here." He heard Rick snicker behind him and had the urge to smack him up side the head.

"Oh," said Sari, smiling. She saw Mr. O'Connell and his son walk up to them and she decided she had better leave. "Well it was nice meeting you Ardeth, but I had better go and finish my work now. Maybe I'll see you soon." She smiled again and turned to walk out of the room.

Rick grinned at his friend as he watched the young assistant go. "You really have a way with the ladies, Ardeth," he teased. 

"Shut up." He watched her retreating form, and he decided she had a very nice figure at that. 

Rick raised an eyebrow at him. He hadn't seen this side of Ardeth before and it surprised him. But then he should know how it felt to be around a pretty girl and not have a clue what to say to her. Giving that tool kit to Evie back at Hamunaptra came to mind. "Sari is still pretty new here," he said, trying to make peace. "She's been one of Evie's assistants for the past couple of months. She's a nice girl." 

"How old is she?" was the next thing that popped into his head. He himself had just turned thirty-three. He could hardly believe he had only been twenty-three when Imhotep had gone on his first rampage. 

"Evie told me that she just graduated from Oxford last year so I guess that makes her about twenty two, twenty three years old?" Rick shrugged. "I don't know for sure, you'd have to ask." 

"Oh." He blinked and shook his head slightly. He couldn't believe a girl had done this to him. That dress she had been wearing in the vision he had seen wasn't helping. He felt as if he had a pair of rolled up socks in his pants. 

"Well after that little interlude, shall we go look around?" Rick asked. He stared at his friend. "Are you okay?" he asked. His attentions suddenly turned to his son. "Alex, don't touch that. It's in a display case for a reason!"

"Aww, dad!" came the irritated reply. Rick smiled and looked back at Ardeth. 

"I'm fine. I saw...I saw something. I think it was a vision." The Med-jai turned to look at Rick. 

"You had a vision?" he asked, shuddering as he remembered being able to decipher the ancient Egyptian scrolls earlier. "What did you see?" 

"Sari. She was sitting at the foot of a throne. She was dressed like an Egyptian princess, or a lady of high stature. She had on the most amazing dress..." Ardeth stopped. He had never used the word amazing before in his life. 

Rick would have been amused by the Med-jai's speech had his mind not been so preoccupied. "You saw Sari?" he asked, a little confused. "You're sure it was her?" He could understand visions of him and his family, but Sari? A girl they hardly knew? Now that was weird. 

"Of course I'm sure. I have eyes." Ardeth snapped.

"Eyeballs make a better point!" Alex's voice sailed from across the room.

"Eyeballs." Ardeth repeated. 

Rick held his hands up in front of him in a gesture of peace. "Alright, take it easy," he said. "I just wanted to make sure as it did seem a little strange. If it helps, something weird happened to me too here, but it wasn't a vision." 

"What?" his friend asked, making a conscious effort to take the edge out of his voice. 

Rick shook his head. "Please give me a reason as to why I can suddenly read and speak ancient Egyptian, Ardeth," he said, still feeling a little unnerved about the whole thing. 

"You hit your head?" asked Ardeth. It was the first thing that came to him. 'I'm going a lot on first notions today.' He though wryly.

Rick grinned humorlessly. "Thanks for the help buddy," he replied, sighing. "Sorry, I know I'm not dealing well with these...dreams, visions, whatever the hell they are, I'm still kinda freaked out by it." 

"I am, uh...'freaked' as well," Ardeth said smiling back at him.

"Are you giving Ardeth a lesson in American slang, Rick?" Evie asked. She emerged from a door just behind them.

"Hey sweetheart," he greeted, walking up to kiss her gently. He wrapped his arms around her, wanting a little reassurance right now. "Evie, I'm not going crazy am I?" he asked, nuzzling her hair. "I just still can't believe this is happening to me. You're the one who deals with visions, not me." 

"No darling you aren't crazy yet." She studied Ardeth. "You look... strange. Are you all right?"

Ardeth shook his head. "Ask him, he should be able to tell you." He nodded towards Rick. 

He sighed, looking down at his wife. "While we were here earlier, Ardeth had some sort of a vision. He says he saw your assistant Sari, but she was dressed like she was some sort of princess." 

"What?" Evie asked. "Sari? I never would have thought Sari..." She trailed off. Ever since she had met the girl, she had felt as if she knew her in some way or another. Perhaps this was how.

Ardeth shrugged. "Everyone has had a past life, maybe she was in mine."

Rick frowned. "Maybe. But if she was, who is she really?" He disentangled himself from his wife's embrace to walk up to the window, looking out of it pensively. He stared down at the early morning London traffic as though it would offer up some answers that he so desperately needed right now. 

Evie narrowed her eyes. Ever since she had seen her past, she had remembered more and more of whom and what had been around her. The clearest image she had was of a young girl walking away from her with a small bundle in her arms. This dream had been with her for a few weeks now, but she hadn't said anything about it. Now that she thought about the girl, Evie realized how much she resembled Sari 

Evie turned to Rick. "I'll be back in a moment." He nodded and she turned and left. As she walked, she tried to remember everything about that dream. She rounded a corner and saw Sari seated looking at a book. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and she no longer saw the museum. Instead, she was standing in a garden. Sari was seated a ways in frount of her. She wore a long white dress and her hair was plaited down her back. She glanced up at Evie and smiled. "Nefertiti! You are back from the ceremony!"

Evie found herself nodding. "Yes, I am glad to be home. Tell me Basset how is Djedi?"

"He is better now, it was only a small case of Nile fever." She smiled again and then Evie found herself looking at the real Sari.

"Hello Mrs. O'Connell," said Sari, smiling up at her. "Did you know that your husband and son are already here at the museum?" 

"Oh, yes! Yes I did." Evie sat down beside of Sari. "How is the cataloging coming?"

"It's a little slow right now," she admitted, picking up a listing of all the books she had sorted through so far and handing it over to her. "I thought I would start with the books seeing as they were the least damaged before going to something else. You know, there was the strangest thing? None of the items belonging to the museum were actually stolen or lost except for one mummy that was brought back from Egypt just before the break in. I wonder what could have happened to it?" 

"It was burned," Evie said a little too quickly. This wasn't what had happened to Imhotep per se, but it was close enough. "It's totally gone now. A shame really." Evie would never forget the look he had given her before simply letting go of the ledge. 

"Well, at least now I know what to put down on the report," said Sari, searching around on the desk for a pen. "Will you be staying around much longer today or are you just here on a quick visit with Alex?" 

"I don't know. Ardeth might want to look around for a bit. Have you met him?" Evie just had to see what her reaction would be. 

Sari blushed a little in remembrance of the man. "Yes, I have. He mentioned that he was a friend of you and your husbands." 

Evie nodded, noting the blush. Then she blurted out, "Would you like to come to dinner tonight?" 

"Oh no, that's alright. I wouldn't mean to impose or anything," she replied, hastily.

"No, no, no! You wouldn't be imposing! I want you to come. After all, I need another girl with four men around. I've been meaning to ask you anyway." Which was true. Evie was rather fond of Sari. 

"Well, if you are sure," she said slowly. She really wanted to get to know this man Ardeth a little better, but was a little scared at the same time. She smiled. "Then what time should I arrive?"

"Um..." Evie searched for a time. "Six. I think I can have it ready by then." She smiled. "I'd better got see if my son has stayed away from everything breakable. See you at six!" 

"I'll see you then," she replied. "Thank you for inviting me. I'll let you get back to your family now." And she turned back to her cataloguing. 

Evie hurried off to tell Ardeth and Rick. She found them in a deep discussion about bullets. "Hello!" She caught their attention after a minute or so. After giving them a rundown of her vision and the fact that Sari was coming for dinner, she stopped to see what they thought. 

"So Sari was in your vision too?" asked Rick. "But you said she was called what, Basset?" He frowned. "Isn't that some kind of a cat god or something?" 

"It's a derivative of Bast, who was the guardian of the dead and the goddess and protector of cats." Evie paused. "If you remember Imhotep was terrified of my cat when he saw her." 

Rick nodded at that. "Well maybe tonight we can get to find out a little more about her. So now that we know a little bit more as to what's going on, what do you suggest we do now?" 

Evie thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not needed here today. We should just go home. I need to cook I suppose." 

"Sounds good," said Rick, leaning down to kiss her briefly. "Come on Alex, we're heading off back home now."

"But Dad, can't I stay here a little while longer? Please?"

"No, you can't. Besides, it'll be dinner time soon and I can always bring you back tomorrow."

Sulking at the home part, but appeased by the sound of food, Alex made his way back to his parents. 

"I'll make baked potatoes, your favorite," Evie said smoothing his hair. On their way out, Evie caught another glimpse of Sari. She was still seated with her book, but she glanced up briefly and waved. Evie smiled to herself. She had a good feeling about tonight. 


	3. Chapter Three

Title: When the Past Comes Alive

Authors: Alex (skettipikachu@aol.com) and Sarah (silivin@aol.com)

Rating: PG-13 

Category: Action/adventure

Status: Work in progress (part 3)

Spoilers: TM

Disclaimer: See part 1

*********************************************************************

Rick came into the kitchen to see Evie getting dinner ready for that evening. She was standing at the stove and he walked up behind her, putting his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. "Smells good," he said. 

"Me or the food?" she asked, laughing. She held up a spoon with gravy on it. "Taste." She commanded. "Is it good?" 

He accepted her offering, sighing in appreciation. "Delicious as always," he told her. He focused his attentions back to her neck, nibbling lightly this time. "Mmm, you taste better though." 

She swatted him away. "I'm cooking, there are hazards in here...go play with Alex." 

"I'd rather play with you," he said teasingly, squeezing her gently. "We never did get to take today out for ourselves." 

"Tonight." she promised. "I'll come to bed, wearing your favorite clothes-none." She shoved him out of the kitchen and went back to the food. 

He grinned and went off in search of his son, seeing what mischief he was up to this time. He wandered off into the dining room and found Ardeth already seated at the table. "Have you seen Alex?" he asked. 

"Yes, he's under the table, trying to figure out how many weapons I have in my boots without me taking them off." Ardeth smiled wryly. "It should keep him busy for a while." 

Rick smiled and sat down next to him. He was actually feeling much better now compared to the apprehensive mood he had been in earlier as a result of his dream. Maybe tonight would help take his mind off it. "Nice to have a break from chasing mummies and searching out clues to our past lives, wouldn't you say?" he grinned. 

Ardeth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes. Although my job is still rather full of them in some way or another." He glanced down and with a quick movement, leaned down and swatted at Alex. There was a muffled yelp in response. "I told you no hands!" Ardeth said. 

"Alex, stop bothering Ardeth," said Rick. He reached under the table and picked up his son, sitting him down on his knee. "Remember, we have a guest tonight so best behavior, alright?"

Alex didn't like the idea of actually having to behave, but he knew the rules for houseguests. And besides, he was hungry and he wasn't about to be sent to bed without dinner. "Okay," he sighed. "But afterwards, can we have a game of soccer or something?"

"If your mother allows it," Rick told him." He turned to Ardeth. "Well maybe you might actually get used to having a day off from all that stuff. Works wonders y'know," he said, smiling. His friend always seemed so serious.

Ardeth just looked at him. "Used to it?" He frowned. "I've never not had work. The threat of death is just a way of life for me, I suppose." 

Rick frowned, remembering his days in the foreign legion when that too had been his way of life. "Well, you're not working now," he pointed out. "Just take your mind off that for a while. Have some fun with your life." He smiled; when he thought about all the times he had told Evie the exact same thing. 

"I know how I would like to have fun, but I doubt that will happen." Ardeth leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. For once, he didn't have on his Med-jai black robes. Instead, he was dressed in a white shirt and dark pants, similar to what Rick wore.

"Well, you never know," he said, setting his squirming boy down on the floor who had suddenly grown bored with this conversation. "Go see if your mother has finished dinner yet," he said, pushing him off in the direction of the kitchen. 

"I thought I was supposed to know everything," Ardeth said, smiling. "So, what have you and Evie been up to? Alex told me you just got back from Egypt." 

"Yeah, you probably know that Evie got the job of the curator at the museum since the previous one...mysteriously vanished," he replied, thinking briefly about the events of Ahm Shere. "So that means we're off exploring more than usual. Plus it helps Alex with his studies, so I guess it all works out. But what about you? How have you been?" he asked, feeling strange asking Ardeth about his personal life and suddenly realized how little he really knew about the man. "So what do you do when you're not fighting off plagues and curses?" 

"I sew." Ardeth smirked at the expression on Rick's face. "Actually I like to train horses. But other than that I don't really have any hobbies. What can you do in the desert?" He shrugged. 

"Make sandcastles," he smiled. "If you like horses, maybe later we can go check out the stables outside, Jonathan and Alex each have their own horses. Since you're staying with us for a while, you might as well have something to do." 

"I'm afraid my horse is rather fat and boring," Jonathan said, making his grand entrance. "But Alex's is a good one." He popped down beside of Ardeth. "Hello, old chum."

Ardeth shook his head. "Hello Jonathan. I think I'll take your offer up." He turned his attention back to Rick. 

Rick grinned. "Tell you what. After dinner tonight, we'll go up to the stables, check out the horses, then Alex and I will teach you how to play soccer," he said, trying to imagine the Med-jai kicking a ball around.

Ardeth nodded, and was about to say something when the doorbell chimed. 

"I'll get it," said Rick, getting up. He shouted for Alex to take his place at the table and walked out of the dining room and out into the hallway. He opened the door to see Sari standing there and he smiled, motioning for her to come inside. "Just in time," he said.

She smiled a little nervously at him and hung her coat up. "Hello, Mr. O'Connell," she said, following him into the dining room.

"Ardeth and Alex you know already, but this is Jonathan, my brother in law," he told her.

"Hello!" Said Jonathan jumping to his feet and practically running around the table. "What's a pretty little thing like you hanging out with rabble like them?" he asked starting to take her hand, but he was thwarted by a kick from Rick. "Would you like to sit by Ardeth?" he choked out. 

"Um, yes, thank you," she answered, thinking that she would rather sit anywhere than next to this man. Jonathan helped her in her seat and she looked over at Ardeth and smiled. "Good evening," she said, noticing his change in attire. "You look nice," she blurted out and then slapped a hand over her mouth in horror. "I mean, you look *different* to how you did this morning. Not that it isn't nice or anything," she rambled, blushing. 

Ardeth fought to keep from grinning. "I look better than Jonathan, that's for certain."

Jonathan sat down with a thump. "I'm not that bad really, just a drunk, misunderstood, gold-digger."

Ardeth rolled his eyes, before looking back at Sari. "You look beautiful," he said, and gave her hand a quick kiss. 

Jonathan rolled his eyes and went to find Evie and Alex. 

"Oh... thank you," she said, blushing even deeper. She smiled and folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Well, you probably know that I work in the museum as Mrs. O'Connell's assistant, but what do you do?" she asked curiously. 

"I work at the Cairo Museum, making sure that the artifacts are handled with proper care." Ardeth glanced over at Rick and glared at him. Rick took the hint and stood up to excuse himself. 

"Cairo? My father is from there," she told him. "Although I've never been myself. I'll bet it's a wonderful place to live." She smiled.

Rick made his way into the kitchen where Evie was just finishing up with dinner and Alex was sitting on the counter top, trying to get at the food. He picked him up and set him on the floor. "Go sit at the table," he told him. "And watch your manners." Alex scampered off. "Sari's here," he told his wife. 

"She is?" Evie asked. She was bending over looking at the baked chicken in the oven. "Don't even think about it Rick." He backed away from where he'd been about to grab her butt. "I'll go and say hello to her." She started to go into the dinning room, but stopped when she saw that Ardeth and Sari were in a deep conversation. "Nevermind, I'll leave them alone for a bit." 

He smiled, pulling her into his arms. "Yes, let's leave them for a while," he said. "They're doing just fine without us." He leaned down to gently brush his lips over hers. 

She responded eagerly and leaned back against the door. Which promptly swung open, throwing both of them to the dinning room floor.

"Ow," Evie groaned. Rick had landed on her, and he wasn't the lightest person in the world.

"Guess this is not my lucky day," he muttered, getting to his feet and helping her up. "Sorry about that," he said, brushing her off. It was then he looked up to see his son, Ardeth and Sari seated at the dinner table and staring at him and Evie strangely. "Uh...hi?" he said, grinning sheepishly. 

"My breasts hurt!" Evie exclaimed loudly before realizing that they had an audience. "Oh, my! I mean my bread's burnt! Uh, I should go and see to it…" She backed away into the kitchen, leaving Rick still standing there. 

He chuckled self-consciously and sat down beside Alex. "Uh, she's just going to see to the food," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked up curiously. "Hey, has anybody seen Jonathan around?" 

"No," Ardeth said. "You weren't by any chance doing it in the kitchen around our food were you?" he asked suspiciously. Sari turned a bright shade of red at the words 'doing it'.

"What kind of man do you take me to be?" he replied grinning, although it had sounded like a good idea if only they hadn't gone flying out the door like that. He sighed. "Ardeth don't forget, we have a guest and a small child present." 

"He was one who suggested it," Ardeth said pointing to Alex who was trying to slink away. Sari couldn't hold it in anymore, and burst out laughing surprising all three of them. 

Rick stared sternly at his son. "Alex, just what has your uncle been telling you?" he asked. He couldn't help but smile at the sound of Sari's laughter; she always seemed so shy and reserved.

"Nothing," he protested. "It's just that you and mum kiss like all the time and, dad, it's *disgusting*!" He looked up, putting on his best innocent expression. "Who's ready for dinner?" he asked chirpily. 

"It's almost ready!" Evie's voice sailed out of the kitchen. Ardeth smiled, he had a feeling Sari wasn't as innocent as she seemed. 

"Where did Jonathan get off to?" he asked, looking over to Alex who knew everything about everyone it seemed. 

"Oh, he'll probably be in the living room practicing his card game," said Alex. He turned to Sari. "Did you know one time Uncle John played poker with these men and he bet-" He was cut off by his father's glare and he got up hurriedly. "I'll just go and fetch him," he said, scurrying off. 

Ardeth picked at some lint that was one the tablecloth. He suddenly had no earthly idea what to say. He glanced at Sari and saw that she looked about the same way.

She would have smiled at his awkwardness if only she hadn't felt the same way. She suddenly wished that Alex would return, it had been easier for her to talk then. "So, how long have you been a friend of the O'Connell's?" she finally asked as Evie set to work serving them all after Rick had finished setting the table. 

"Ten years. Since before Alex was born," Ardeth replied. Sari blanked, that would have made her twelve years old then. 

"That's a long time," she replied, figuring out his age to be somewhere around the same as Mr. O'Connell's. She knew the age difference should have put her off, but strangely, she didn't feel all that bothered. "I only started work at the museum with Mrs. O'Connell a few months ago."

"Well...It's not as long as it sounds. I mean, I'm not as old as Rick here," he responded, giving his friend a slap on the back. Rick replied with a heartless 'Ha ha'. 

She giggled a little and then thanked Mrs. O'Connell as she served her. It was then that Alex returned with his uncle and she was relieved to see him sit at the far end of the table, away from her.

Rick took his place next to Evie when everybody had been served and said, "alright everyone, dig in."

After a round of complements on the food, Evie decided to stick her foot into her mouth and ask. "So how old are you, Sari?"

"I'm actually twenty-two," Sari told her. "Not very old, I know. I only graduated last year." 

"Oh, that's a perfectly good age!" Evie exclaimed. "I was twenty-two when I met Rick in Cairo."

"You met your husband in Cairo?" asked Sari with interest. "Well, it seems like all our lives are related to there at some point." She smiled at Ardeth. 

Rick, Ardeth and Evie all stared at each other for a split second before Ardeth blurted out, "You must come and see it sometime. There's always something about to happen there." Rick nearly choked on his water.

"Oh, that sounds lovely," she replied, unaware there was anything wrong. 

Rick frowned at Ardeth. He would have to talk to him about this later, but for now he decided to just let it be. "Oh yeah, Cairo's great," he said, keeping the conversation going. 

"Hot though," Ardeth said. "You have to be able to stand the heat." He smiled at her. "I doubt you'd have a problem though."

She blushed and looked down at her plate, wondering if he had just been coming onto her. "Why did you say that?" she asked shyly, looking up at him. 

Ardeth head went blank. "Well, you said your father was from Cairo, then that would mean that the sands of Egypt run through your veins, just as much as it does mine or Evie's." 

"Oh," she said, laughing as she realized what he actually meant. "Well yes, I suppose that's true. I would like to go there some day though." 

Evie decided to jump in. "You know, I'm going on an expedition in two weeks-" 

"You are?" Jonathan interjected. Evie waved him off.

"I was thinking of asking you to accompany me, would you?" 

"That would be lovely, but I'm sure you wouldn't want me in your way," she said. She really did want to go, but she didn't want to seem rude.

"Oh, no!" Evie was now totally ignoring the looks all of the men were giving her. "I'd love to have you come! And it's not just Cairo, we're going to Karnack and Giza and some of the smaller temples around the Nile. You'd just love it!" 

She bit her lip. It really did sound amazing and too good an opportunity to pass up. "I would," she sighed. "You are sure it wouldn't be any trouble?" she asked uncertainly. 

"Positive!" Evie ignored the fact that Rick was kicking her in the foot. "Oh, we'll have to go shopping! And we'll have to get some of the books from the museum..." Evie and Sari's excited conversation faded into the background as Rick and Ardeth just looked at each other and shrugged. 


	4. Chapter Four

Title: When The Past Comes Alive

Authors: Alex (skettipikachu@aol.com) and Sarah (silivin@aol.com)

Rating: PG-13

Category: Action/adventure

Spoilers: TMR

Status: Work in progress (part 4)

Disclaimer: See part 1 

*********************************************************************

Ardeth flopped down on the bed, and let his muscles relax. He sighed, if there was one thing the English could do it, it was make a comfortable bed. Without consciously realizing it he drifted off to sleep.

_He stood out side of a large stone door. For some reason Ardeth felt nervous, and scared, as if he were going into battle. The door opened and a young servant hurried out, holding a basin of water. She barely acknowledged him, before disappearing around the corner._

_Ardeth craned to see inside the room. He caught a glimpse of a tall bald man-Imhotep, leaning towards a young woman. The girl cried out and writhed in pain. Then the door swung shut._

_Ardeth had the urge to go in there, to see what the Creature was doing to her, but his feet refused to move. The young servant, Isis was her name, came back carrying towels._

_"Isis." He spoke without even thinking. "How is Basset?" _

_Isis looked up at him, and shook her head. "It is a difficult child." She then hurried into the room, leaving him behind._

_'How did I know her name was Isis?' Ardeth thought. 'Who is Basset?'_

_Suddenly he found himself striding forward, opening the door and walking into a brightly lit room. In the center was a bed; on it lay a very pregnant Sari._

_Ardeth gasped. At least he thought he gasped. Imhotep was washing his hands in a basin. He turned to Ardeth._

_"Good, you came in. We need you." Imhotep instructed him to get behind Sari, who he called Basset, and to support her. "She must begin to push now. If she doesn't your children will not survive."_

_'Children?' Ardeth thought wildly. He found himself sitting behind Basset, his arms wrapped around her._

_"It hurts." She moaned. "I wish it was over…"_

_"It will be soon." Ardeth said soothingly._

_"Now Basset, you must push!" Imhotep commanded from where he stood at the foot of the bed. "Count in your mind to three, and them push!"_

_It seemed forever to Ardeth until he heard that one loud cry. The signal that it was nearly over. Imhotep handed the child over to Isis, and then turned back to Basset. "It's nearly done, the second child will be easier."_

_Basset nodded, and began pushing again. Ardeth supported her, feeling the strain of the birth, through her._

_The second child came faster than the first. Soon two sets of cries filled the room, and Imhotep turned to Ardeth, who still held the tired Basset._

_"Well, Djedi, you have a son and daughter."_

_ _

~~~~~~

Rick stood by the window, staring out into the darkness. It was late, Sari had gone home a while ago and Alex was in bed asleep. Ardeth and Jonathan were still downstairs, not having been ready to turn in for the night so all was quiet upstairs. He glanced over at Evie who was getting changed into her nightgown. She smiled at him. 

"Aren't you going to join me?" she asked softly. He nodded, unbuttoning his shirt and letting it fall to the ground. Upon being on the receiving end of his wife's glare though, he quickly picked it up again and placed it on a nearby chair, grinning sheepishly. His pants were quick to follow and he made his way slowly to their bed. Evie was already under the covers waiting for him, but he paused for a moment.

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern, pulling back the sheets for him.

"It's nothing," he replied, sliding in under the blankets. She snuggled up next to him and he took her into his arms, holding her tightly to him. Her head rested upon his bare chest and she gently stroked her fingers over his skin. 

"Something's bothering you, Rick and I want to know what it is," she murmured. He hadn't been the same since their return from Ahm Shere and these visions of his seemed to be making him worse. 

"I guess I'm just a little disturbed by these weird dreams," he said quietly as he stroked her hair. "I'm not really sure what to make of them." He didn't mention the fact that he was almost afraid to fall asleep, lest he start having more of them. He was aware that he was trying to block it all out, not open himself up to the possibilities as Ardeth had suggested to him. 

"I think they're there for a reason, darling, just like mine were," Evie told him. "Maybe you're meant to see something, that these dreams are happening to make you aware of what happened in your past."

"So you think this all really happened somewhere in another life?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," she said firmly. "Just as my dreams showed me my previous life, so will yours. Everything happens for a reason, Rick so there has to be a meaning to these visions. Your dreams are the key." She smiled. "Just like the key that brought me to you."

He squeezed her gently. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" she asked, lifting her head and moving up a little and laying her palm against his cheek.

"For being here," he murmured, his hand finding the back of her neck and guiding her closer to him. "For keeping me sane through all this."

"You're welcome," she whispered, smiling as her lips touched his in a tender kiss. And from then on, there were no more words.

~~~~~~

Rick was dreaming. Not a vision of his past life, but something he was more familiar with, something he had been plagued with in his sleep for some time now. He could hear himself speaking; hear the sobbing of his son as his wife lay dying in his arms.

"Take care of Alex," she whispered to him.

"Sweetheart, no," he said, touching a hand to her face, wishing with all his heart that this wasn't happening, that she wasn't slipping away from him.

"I...love you," were her last words and then she took her final breath, her eyes falling shut, never to open again.

Rick shook her gently; as though she were sleeping and he could wake her up. "Evie? Evie, come back," he whispered, his heart breaking when it finally sank in that she was gone for good. "Come back," he whimpered, letting his head fall to her chest as he cried...

He jolted awake, looking around frantically in the dark. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was and he fumbled on the beside table, snapping on the lamp. The room was bathed in light and he could see his wife lying next to him, one arm still flung across his chest. His fingers shakily made their way to the side of her neck, feeling for her pulse. She was only sleeping, he told himself, trying to shake off the memories of his dream.

He carefully moved her arm and laid his head upon her chest, feeling it rise and fall with every breath she took, hearing the beating of her heart. He stayed that way for a while; just taking in comfort of her body, reassuring himself she was still here with him. He sighed, wishing that it would all go away. He had told her about these dreams and together, they had done their best to work through them and he hadn't had them for some time now and now that they were back, he didn't know what to do. He was never going to get any sleep at all if this kept up.

After a few more minutes of staying like that, Rick lifted himself up and out of bed, leaning down to kiss her lips gently and she smiled in her sleep. He pulled on his pants and made his way down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. That and he had to get up and walk; he didn't think he'd be falling asleep anytime soon.

He entered the kitchen and rinsed out a glass, letting it fill with cold water before bringing it to his lips and drinking deeply. He placed the glass back down and leaned against the sideboard, sighing heavily. He ran a hand through his ruffled hair and that brought his tattoo to his attention, the blue ink standing out on his skin. He stared at it curiously, wondering not for the first time that had put it there and what it signified. Ardeth had told him that it was the mark of the Med-jai, but hadn't told him what the tattoo symbolized and Rick made a mental note to ask his friend in the morning.

He traced over the design with his index finger, the pyramid and the Eye and he shut his eyes, sighing. When he opened them however, he was no longer standing in the kitchen of his house.

~~~~~~

_Amun followed Djedi into a small tent and took a seat opposite Ahmes, one of the village elders. _

_ _

_Djedi preferred not to sit, but he stood close by Amun, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now is the time that your training has paid off, brother. This is the final step before you become a Med-jai." He looked over at the elder. "Ahmes is the one who will mark you as Med-jai, just as he did to me five years ago and to our father when he was a young man." He nodded at Ahmes. _

_ _

_Amun watched curiously as Ahmes began to prepare the things necessary for the ritual. He waited patiently and when the elder took hold of his right wrist, he was a little confused. "What are you doing?" he asked. It was always the tradition for a Med-jai to be tattooed upon his face and his arms so he was somewhat surprised that he should be marked elsewhere. _

_ _

_"You are to be marked here," Ahmes told him._

_ _

_"And why is that?" Amun wanted to know. His brother frowned at him. It was not right to question the motives of the elders, but Ahmes merely smiled._

_ _

_"Because, Amun, you are different and therefore, you are to be marked differently. It has been said that the young warrior with eyes the color of the Nile and almost unbeaten in combat will go on to achieve great things. You have a goal to accomplish, young man." He stopped talking and then began to apply the needle and ink to Amun's skin. _

_ _

_Amun wondered what he meant. He knew his blue eyes were somewhat unusual for Egypt and had been much talked-about, something which he personally had never understood. As the needle began its work, he gritted his teeth at the pain. He wanted to see just what it was that the elder was etching on him, but his brother kept him occupied with small talk to try and take his mind off it._

_ _

_Amun winced when he began bleeding. "Stings a little," he remarked casually. _

_ _

_Djedi smiled. "It will not hurt for long," he told him. "You know, Nefertiti will be at the ceremony tonight. The pharaoh favors you. I heard that there is to be a marriage arranged between you and the princess."_

_ _

_"And who told you that?" Amun asked, not entirely displeased._

_ _

_"I am not at liberty to say," his brother replied. Amun shook his head, smiling. _

_ _

_It wasn't much later when the elder was finished with the tattoo. Amun stared down at it. His wrist was still bloody, but it now bore the symbol of the Eye of Horus, a protection symbol which he could understand. What was new to him though was the picture of a pyramid behind the eye with two kings overlooking it. _

_ _

_"The bleeding will stop after a while," said Ahmes, patting his shoulder. "I will see you at the ceremony tonight." _

_ _

_Amun watched him leave. He looked down at the tattoo one more time, and then closed his eyes._

~~~~~~

Evie had woken up, suddenly aware that something was amiss. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and it was then that she realized that Rick wasn't beside her anymore. She lay in bed for a few moments, thinking maybe that he would come back soon, but when he hadn't returned, she got out of bed, pulling on her robe and decided to look for him.

She pushed open the bedroom door, noticing that the landing lights were on and from the top of the stairs, she could se that the lights downstairs had been turned on also. She tightened the sash of her robe and made her way down the stairs. She peered into the living room, which was dark, but the kitchen light was on, so she went inside, gasping when she saw him.

Rick was lying on the floor, moaning softly, a broken glass and spilled water by his side. Evie knelt down beside him, shaking him frantically.

"Rick! Rick, wake up!" she said, gently slapping his face. He remained unresponsive for a few seconds, but then his eyes opened and he gasped, sitting up quickly. He put a hand to his head, groaning as though he was in pain and she pushed his hand away, touching his forehead, which felt hot. "Rick, are you all right?" she asked worriedly. "What just happened?"

He blinked in confusion, looking up at her. "Evie?" he asked frowning.

"Yes, it's me," she replied, gently stroking his face. "I woke up and you weren't in bed with me so I came looking for you. I found you lying on the floor, moaning like you were in pain or something. What's going on?"

He didn't answer her for a moment, just closed his eyes and concentrated on her soothing touch. His hand found its way to his right wrist, tracing over the tattoo. He could still remember the pain of the needle as it branded him, marking him as a Med-jai. It was only a dream, but it had felt so Goddamned real. He couldn't remember falling or anything, one moment he had been sitting with Ahmes, one of the Med-jai elders and Ardeth...his brother, he reminded himself and the next, he was back in his kitchen. 

Rick was startled when he felt something warm and sticky where his fingers were and he opened his eyes, glancing down curiously to see himself bleeding. He paled a little, his mind flashing back to how he had bled when the needle had marked him.

Evie followed his gaze and gasped when she saw it. "God, you're bleeding," she said softly. "Did you cut yourself on the glass?"

Rick frowned, wondering what she was talking about, but then he looked over his shoulder and saw the shattered glass on the floor. He stumbled to his feet unsteadily, swaying a little. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'll clean it up."

"No, you will not," Evie told him firmly, guiding him over to sit on one of the chairs. She hurried over to the sink, getting a clean washcloth and soaking it in cold water. She sat down beside him, gently pressing the washcloth against his skin, holding it there. She stared at him, not saying anything for a while. "You had a dream," she stated.

He nodded, gently moving her hand away so that he could peel the washcloth back from his wrist. He studied his tattoo, wondering why it looked like it had only just been put there, not as he had been used to seeing it for the past how many years. He began speaking softly. "It was a tradition of when you first became a Med-jai to be marked in some way. You've seen it with Ardeth, with the markings on his face, that was how it was back then." He frowned. "But mine was different. I got mine here-" he pointed to his wrist. "Not on my face or on my arms."

"And why was that?" Evie asked gently.

He shook his head. "I don't know. The guy who put it there in my dream told me that I was different, that it was there for a purpose, to remind me of who I am. For when I achieve my goal."

"What was the goal?"

Good question. The man who marked him hadn't been very specific about telling him why he was different. Rick thought about what he had just said. His goal...as far as he could figure, his "goal" had been to kill the Scorpion King which he had, remembering how in the temple at Ahm Shere, he had briefly believed. Those pictures on the wall had been bugging him ever since though, making him question exactly why the figure had had his tattoo in the exact same place. 

Unless...unless it could have been an image of him from his past? Rick frowned. 'God, you're beginning to sounds as screwy as Ardeth.' But it made send in a weird sort of way. What didn't make sense though, was who had put those pictures there and how had they known what would happen?

Evie's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Rick? What was your goal?" she repeated gently.

He lifted his head, staring at her. "I don't know yet. But I believe I'm going to find out." He reached out and cupped her cheek. "Evie, I'm okay," he said softly. He knew she didn't believe him, he could see it in her eyes. Funny how suddenly he had gone from being scared by all this to accepting it. And now that he had finally taken it on board, the more he started to come to terms with it, the more she began to worry about him. 

She sighed, leaning into his hand. "I never came across you out cold on the kitchen floor and bleeding as a result of these visions before," she murmured. "It frightens me, Rick."

"I know, honey, I know," he told her, pulling her over to sit in his lap. He held her tightly, burying his face in her hair. She pressed her head against his chest. "I think it'll be good to go back to Egypt."

She looked at him curiously. "Why is that?"

"I don't know exactly. Maybe things will start to get a little clearer."

She smiled slightly. "But we just got home," she told him teasingly.

"At least we're already packed," he replied, the corners of his mouth tugging up a little. 

"Well, all we have to do is book the flight details and we're set," Evie told him. She sat up a little straighter so that she could look him in the eye. "Rick, are you sure you want to do this?"

He stared at her for a long moment and nodded slowly. It was time he faced his fears and found out about his past. She sighed softly and leaned in, brushing her lips over his. "Then come back to bed," she whispered. "We can sort things out in the morning. And besides, you need sleep; you look like-" she broke off, suddenly remembering not to say that word. 

"Hell?" he suggested, grinning.

"Darling, don't swear," she said, frowning. She ran a hand through his hair. "You're tired, you need sleep. Come on." She rose up from his lap, taking his hand and leading him back upstairs to bed.


	5. Chapter Five

  Title: When The Past Comes Alive

  Authors: Alex (skettipikachu@aol.com) and Sarah (silivin@aol.com)

  Rating: PG-13

  Category: Action/adventure

  Status: Work in progress (part 5)

  Disclaimer: See part 1

********************************************************************   

  Evie was in a flurry. She rushed about the house grabbing books, 

clothes, tickets, and in the case of Jonathan, plucking alcohol out of his grasp. Rick wisely grasped Ardeth by the arm and took him into 

the office where he kept his weapons. Alex however wasn't quite so 

lucky, he was sent scurrying about with arms piled full of clothes.

  When they were packed in a satisfactory manner, Evie slowed down then finally dropped onto the couch.

  "Are we done yet, mum?" Alex asked as he rubbed his forehead in an 

exasperated manner.

  "Yes, I do believe so." Evie smiled and beckoned him over. "Now all 

we have to do is load the car. And I think Rick and Jonathan can 

handle that."

  "Can I boss them about?" Alex asked, suddenly rejuvenated by the 

thought.

  "Sure." Evie smiled at the thought. "Go tell them it's time."

  "Okay!"

~~~~~~~

  "Is that it?" Rick shoved the last piece of luggage into the trunk. 

  "Hum..." Evie looked around and then nodded. "Yes."

  "Thank God!" Jonathan exclaimed. "I can't believe you're dragging me along on this...thing!" 

  Rick glared at him. "I think you need to be watched." 

  Jonathan glared back. "Oh, let up." 

  Alex grabbed his arm. "Come on! We might find treasure, or a mummy, 

or a curse, or even..." 

  "What?" Jonathan was suddenly intrigued. 

  "A girl that could stand you!"

  "What?" Jonathan shrieked. "You little..." 

  "That's enough, children!" Evie said, as she sailed by. "Into the car. Jonathan, Alex and I will ride in the backseat. Ardeth, you can sit up front with Rick."

  Jonathan dropped into the seat and secured his seat belt. Suddenly 

things looked hazy and he vaguely noticed his sister sitting down 

beside him, then everything flashed and he was looking at something 

else entirely...

~~~~~~

  He was seated on a throne. Servants flitted here and there and he was handed a wineglass. 'Well, something's up.' Jonathan thought; he then took a drink.

  A young woman was walking straight towards him. She wore a long white loose fitting dress with a fitted waist, her shoulder length black hair swished about her shoulder alluringly, and her feet made a 

slight slapping noise as she approached.

  "Hello, Isis." He found himself speaking. "I trust my sister is well?"

  "Yes, Your Highness." She had a soft, sweet voice. "My business here does not concern her today."

  Jonathan felt himself lifting an eyebrow. "It doesn't?"

  "No sir." She peered up at him shyly.

  Jonathan quickly took the hint. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

  "Yes, Your Highness."

  He stood up, and to his ultimate surprise, set his wineglass 

down. "Call me Rameses." Inside Jonathan started jumping, mentally 

screaming 'I was Rameses!'.

  She took his offered arm and they started toward the garden. Ramses waved the Med Jai off, glancing at them annoyed.

  One of them came forward. "Your Highness, you shouldn't go alone!"

  Jonathan started; it was Ardeth in a wig! Okay, Ardeth with 

straightened hair anyway. "I'll be fine."

  "Jonathan, are you alright?" Evie's voice broke into his thoughts.

  "I was!" He snapped. "I just had the most amazing daydream..."

~~~~~~ 

  Sari Kohjar stood in the airport's departure room, awaiting the appearance of the O'Connells. She still couldn't believe her luck that Evelyn had asked her to come with them on this trip to Egypt. It was like a dream come true, plus it would enable her to spend more time with Ardeth. 

  She smiled at the thought of him and plucked at the collar of her blue blouse, checking for the hundredth time that she looked okay before adjusting her long black skirt. It hadn't been as bad as the night when she'd been invited round for dinner though when she had gone through her entire wardrobe in search of something that would seem nice enough. She had never really bothered to dress up before, but now she had been making an effort, even styling her hair a little in the hope that he would notice. 

  Speaking of her hair, she tucked it behind her ears again. Looking good could sometimes be a real pain though she had realised. She usually kept her long black hair tied back and now that she had it loose around her shoulders, it was only now that she noticed how long it had grown. Definitely time for a haircut, she thought, frowning. She knew her father wouldn't like that though. She grinned, trying to picture his reaction if she came home with short hair. He had always let Sari get away with whatever she wanted, much to her mother's dismay. But ever since her mother had died a few years ago, Sari and her father had grown that much closer and she loved making him proud. 

  He had been there when she had been accepted on a course in Egyptology at Oxford, he had been there when she had graduated and also when she had found her first job at the British Museum. Being his only child made him a little overprotective at times which could drive her crazy, but he was pretty easy-going considering his Arabic heritage which had probably been more due to her English mother's influence than anything else. Once he had started a new life in London, he had been unwilling to return to the east and although Sari had respected that, she had always wanted to go herself and now this was her chance. 

  She checked her watch again, knowing that she was early, but she had been excited and impatient to get to the airport. And to see Ardeth, she reminded herself, blushing a little. God, she was behaving like a love-struck fool! She paid no attention to the thought, she was liking this. She met a lot of men at the museum seeing as it was still largely dominated by males, but this was the first time she had ever felt like this about one before. And he was an eastern one at that, a definite plus. Sari didn't consider herself to be more Arabic than British, but she had always thought western men had a certain...brashness to them. She grinned at how Ardeth had acted like a prefect gentleman and she just hoped that she could be enough of a lady for him.

  It was then that the excited voice of the O'Connell's son brought her out of her thoughts and she waved. Alex came bounding over followed by his parents and uncle and, bringing up the rear was Ardeth. Her spirits lifted even more at the sight of him and she decided that she could even tolerate the advances of Johnathan, her mood was that good.

  "Good morning," she greeted, smiling.

  Ardeth smiled, stepping around Jonathan and smoothly offering his arm. "Good morning. How are you?" 

  She took his arm. "I'm very well thank  you," she replied. Then she grinned. "Actually, I'm very excited. I've never been on a plane before." 

  Ardeth bent and picked up her bag. "They are quite memorable." 

  She laughed a little and thanked him, then followed him to their boarding terminal, trying to calm her excitement and failing miserably. "I can't wait," she admitted. "This is going to be so wonderful!" 

  "If you can get over the heat," Jonathan said. He smiled at her, hoisting another one of her bags up. "Just wait till you see the pyramids." 

  Sari's face lit up at the mention of the pyramids. "Oh gosh, this is amazing! I've wanted to see them since I was a child." She smiled at Johnathan. "Do you travel to Egypt a lot?" 

  "Oh, I used to live there, but about two years ago I decided to move back to England. We have a house there you know," he said, jerking his head in Rick and Evie's general direction. 

  Sari was impressed. "You do? How could you ever bring yourself to want to leave?" she asked dreamily. She shook her head and focused a little. "Is that where we will be staying?" 

  "Yup, that's the place." Jonathan grinned a little. "Why I left is a rather long story, but I'm sure Ardeth could tell it to you." He winked at Ardeth. "I'm off to get our tickets."  

  She waved as he went, wondering how she had ever thought of Johnathan as frightening before. He was really a nice chap, or at least he seemed to be. Ardeth liked him and that was good enough for her. She squeezed Ardeth's arm a little and pointed to the plane. "There it is! Isn't it wonderful?" 

  Ardeth grinned when she squeezed his arm. "Yes, it is isn't it."  

  Just then, Alex pushed past, pressing his nose up against the window. "Mum, dad, I can see the plane! Wow, this one is even bigger than the last!" He jumped up and down, laughing. "I can't wait to get on there! I wonder if Uncle John will be sick again?" 

  Evie stepped up behind him. "I hope not. Hello, Sari!" 

  "Hello, Evelyn," Sari replied, finally taking her eyes off the airplane. "Gosh, this is terribly exciting isn't it? I can't wait to get on the plane, let alone get to Egypt!" 

  "Oh you'll love it!" Evie smiled excitedly. "I can't wait to see your face when we land! You know, I still get chills everytime I land in Egypt."  

  "Oooh, I can't wait! When do we board?" she asked eagerly. "Johnathan went off to see to the tickets just a short while ago." 

  "I'd say about fifteen minutes. Rick has gone to make sure all of our baggage makes it onto the plane, so after they get it loaded we'll probably leave." 

  Sari giggled and looked back at the plane. "This is so marvellous," she said softly. She looked down when she felt a tug on her blouse.

  "Sari, have you ever been on a plane before?" Alex asked.

  "No, I haven't," she replied. "Have you?"

  "Yep," he said proudly. "I'm the only kid in my class who's ever gone out of England. And the ladies who look after you on the plane are really nice. Well, they are until Uncle John tries to get their phone numbers, then they stop being nice for some reason." 

  "I do not! That only happend once and she was flirting with me!" Jonathan said as he walked up to them. He began handing out tickets. 

  Alex looked confused. "Uncle John, what does flirting mean?" he asked frowning. 

  "Um..." Jonathan looked lost.

  Ardeth stepped in. "It's what people do when they like someone, and they are trying to find out if the other person likes them too." 

  "Oh, I see," said Alex, still not really understanding this concept. "So...if I tried to find out if my friend Harry liked me, would that mean I was flirting with him?" 

  "No...uh, well, your mother and father flirt all the time. I believe you and Jonathan call it, 'lovey-stuff'." 

  Alex's face had an expression of horror. "Lovely stuff?" he exclaimed. "Ugh, that's disgusting! All kissing and cuddling, yuck! I'm never going to kiss a girl," he announced. He saw his father approach the group and he ran up to him. "Dad, dad! Ardeth says that you and mum flirt!"

  Rick grinned. "Well yeah, I guess we do," he replied, smiling over at Evie. 

  Alex just rolled his eyes. "Dad come on, we're going to board the plane soon. Hurry up!" He tugged on his father's hand. 

  Jonathan handed Sari her ticket. "I got you a window seat so you could see everything." 

  "Oh, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, clutching the ticket. Just then, someone announced that they were now allowed to board the plane. Alex was already off, dragging along his father who in turn had pulled Evie after him and Sari tugged at Ardeth's arm, eager to follow. "Shall we go?" she asked. 

  "After you." They quickly boarded the plane. Ardeth sat beside Sari, with Alex next to him, and Rick, Evie and Jonathan facing them.   

 Sari peered out of the window in excitement, waiting for the plane to take off. She was a little surprised when Alex handed her some gum. "What's this for?" she asked curiously.

  "When we take off, your ears are gonna pop a little," he told her. "If you chew gum, it makes it better."

  Sari smiled and accepted Alex's offering. She leaned over Ardeth when Alex yanked at her sleeve.

  "Be sure to watch uncle John during take off," he whispered loudly. "His face always goes a funny green colour." 

  "Alex!" Jonathan snapped. "I suppose I should tell how you always get gas after you eat airline food." 

  "I do not!" Alex protested. "Besides, I always throw the food at you!" 

  "Okay, okay," Evie said. "Sari, pay them no mind." She turned to 

her brother. "Johnathan, don't look at Alex. Alex, don't look at Jonathan."  

  Alex pouted a little. "But where else can I look?" he asked in frustration. He turned to his father. "Daaaad!"

  Rick smiled. "Alex, no whining. Apologise to your uncle." 

  Alex sighed. "Sorry, uncle John," he said. As a peace offering, he held out his pack of gum. "Want some?" 

  "Is it fish flavored?" asked Johnathan.

  Alex snickered. "Of course it isn't!" he said, laughing. "It tastes like mint just like always. Have some." 

  "Alright thank you." He turned to Sari. "You'll get used to us, even Ardeth did eventually." 

  Sari giggled. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine. You two should be a double act." 

  Ardeth smiled. "I think they already are." He turned to Rick. "You seem quiet my friend, are you alright?" 

  "I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping well lately," Rick said, hoping he would take the hint. 

  "Oh...I see." Ardeth frowned. "Nothing bad I take it?" 

  "No, not as such, just...more complicated. Anyway, I'll tell you more about it later." 

  "Alright." The plane started to lift off and he glanced over at Sari to see what her reaction would be. 

  Sari was peering out of the window, watching as they began to take off. She clasped her hands together in excitement, marvelling as they climbed higher and all the houses below got smaller and smaller. When she felt a tapping on her shoulder, she acknowledged Ardeth, grinning widely. "It's even more amazing than I imagined!" she told him. 

  He smiled at her expression. "I like flying as well. You aren't feeling ill or anything are you?" he asked, there was a slight conserned tone to his voice. 

  "Oh no, I feel great!" she said happily. Then she remembered her manners. "Are you feeling alright?" She queried. 

  "Oh, I'm fine, I-" Jonathan broke in. "Well, I'm bloody not. Hand me a bag Evie." 

  Alex giggled. "I told you he got sick," he said. "I don't think the gum worked this time!"

~~~~~~ 

  Rick pulled up in front of the old Carnahan home anouncing, "we're here!" Johnathan who usually took on the task of being chauffer had passed the job onto his brother in law as he had still looked a little green after they had landed. Everyone piled out of the car; Sari, Alex and Johnathan followed Evie into the house while Rick unloaded the luggage with Ardeth. "God, we didn't seem to have this much packed when we left," he muttered to himself. 

  Ardeth grabbed three bags at once. "So, what was keeping you awake lat night?" 

  Rick paused, frowning a little. He placed his share of the suitcases on the ground and pulled off his bracer, letting Ardeth take a look. It had stopped bleeding, but it still looked a little painful. "Last night I had a dream that some guy gave me this...he said I had something to achieve and that I was different. When I woke up, I was bleeding." He shrugged. 

  Ardeth lifted his eyebrow. "That is... strange." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to tell you. You have no idea how annoying that is for me." 

  "Let me tell you it's annoying for me too. It seems my fountain of all knowledge has run dry," he teased, putting his bracer back on. "Who do you suggest we turn to now then?" 

  "I suggest you and I ride out to my village tommorow. The Elders might be able to tell us something."  

  Rick looked surprised at that suggestion. "But I thought your people didnt exactly...smile upon people who aren't from your tribe," he said. "Least of all some brash American like me." 

  "You have the mark. You may come from the West, but somewhere there was a Med-Jai in your line. That makes you one of us." 

  Rick smiled slightly. "Alright, sounds like a plan to me," he replied. "Maybe now we can start getting answers from somewhere." 


End file.
